CONSERVATION CORNER
A weekly blog for all things conservation
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By: Tess Flynn-Belles, Natural Resource Specialist
On September 3, 2019, the Bradford County Commissioners will open the application period for a new round of the successful County Stream Initiative Program. Since 2006, the Commissioners have worked with the Bradford County Conservation District to implement this program which has completed over 80 stream restoration projects, many of which have helped protect threatened homes and businesses from streambank erosion. As a result, over 21,000 feet (or 4 miles) of degraded streambank has been rehabilitated. Other accomplishments include annual sediment reductions of approximately 7,300 tons resulting in nitrogen and phosphorus reductions of 18,000 pounds and 7,300 pounds, respectively. Additionally, nearly 8 acres of forested riparian buffer have been created or enhanced adjacent to these completed projects. Some of the Best Management Practices that have been used to complete these projects are rock rip-rap toe protection, barbs, weirs, stacked rock walls, and log deflectors.
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 By: Kevin Brown, Ag. Resource Specialist
It is that time of year again. For the very important, local people that bring food to your table, it is the time of year to be thinking about how I am going to manage, and even improve, my field health through the winter months. (This goes for gardens too). Typically, we have given our fields a rest for the winter. Sounds like a good idea, right? Everything needs a rest. Well, in this case, a rest is basically the starvation of the very soil life that we need to help us grow food. Look up any kind of article or research on soil health. Two of the things that good soil health requires are to always keep it covered and have a living root in the ground. Soil biology feeds off living roots. Take away the root, take away the food. Take away the food, everything dies. You are left with the D word (dirt- which is not even a word in most soil professions). Why do we want a field to work for us 4-5 months out of the year and against us 7-8 months of the year? It just doesn’t make any sense. Read some articles from other parts of the country. They will tell you that they couldn’t make a living on one crop per year. They need multiple crops per year. It would help us an awful lot here too. How do we do this? Cover crops.  From left: Nick Martin, Brooke Ostrander, Deb Manchester, Stephanie Manchester, Rich Manchester, Theron Binford III and Austin Jelliff By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader
Ernest Manchester is a name to be remembered if you enjoy the natural resources of Bradford County. The scholarship in his name is open for application until September 30th each year.
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AuthorsVarious staff at the Bradford County Conservation District Archives
April 2025
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